


Friendly Interrogation

by ReaderOfFics817



Category: The Rookie (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:47:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25391107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReaderOfFics817/pseuds/ReaderOfFics817
Summary: Angela spots Lucy and Tim at a brewery, realizes that they're dating, and forces some info out of him.
Relationships: Tim Bradford & Lucy Chen, Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen
Comments: 11
Kudos: 120





	Friendly Interrogation

Prologue:

“Oh my GOD!” Angela gasped, pulling Wes behind the wall in the reception area of the restaurant they had just entered. 

“WHAT?” Wes looked around trying to figure out what had made his wife of four months freak out. She was a cop, so usually he followed her lead with ducking and running out of sight, not that it happened often, but he couldn’t figure out what would warrant it at the new brewery they were trying out. 

“Look carefully, is that Bradford and Chen at that table over there or am I seeing things?” 

He peaked around the corner quickly, before turning back to her, “Definitely them. Why are we hiding from your friends? Shouldn’t we go say hi?” He looked confused, as they both peered back at the pair laughing at the bar, “Oh.” Wes suddenly realized why Angela had hid, they weren’t just there as friends it appeared. In the few seconds they were hiding behind the wall Tim had wrapped his arm around Lucy’s shoulders, and pulled her to him, whispering something in her ear. Whatever he said caused her to turn and kiss him quickly, giggling. 

“Oh, they are so busted!” Angela pulled Wes back so they wouldn’t be seen, “Let’s get out of here. If he sees us, I can’t have my fun tomorrow.” 

“You’re going to torture the poor man, aren’t you?” Wes laughed. He knew the saga of Tim and Lucy, hell, he was even in on the office pool with everyone. 

“He’s stuck with me on a special detail for 3 hours, sitting in a shop. You bet.” Angela smirked, before dragging Wes out of the brewery and down the street to their usual Friday night restaurant. 

——— 

The Next Day: 

“Morning, Bradford!” Angela basically sing songed, clearly in too good of a mood for being at work on a Saturday at 8 am, as she handed him a coffee. 

“Thanks.” He grumbled, “Why are you in such a good mood?” 

“Slept well, and we’re making time and a half to sit in an air conditioned car for a few hours. What’s not to be happy about? You have a long night or something?” 

“Eh, something like that.” He responded, but there was a hint of a smirk creeping up on his features. 

With her knowledge of last evening and just knowing Tim well enough, she knew what kept him up was nothing he was upset about; gross, she thought. She could have interrogated him right here, but decided to wait, let his coffee sink in. He wasn’t a morning person, as much as he let others think he was, and Angela knew better than to poke the best before he was caffeinated. 

Half an hour later, they were parked at their designated location, waiting for the armed vehicle to join them so they could assist in the transport of a high level drug cartel member from the downtown prison to the high level security prison he would be spending his days in. Thankfully, this cartel wasn’t known for trying to get back their own, usually when arrested they let them be, so in all likelihood this would be a routine drive. 

“So, what kept you up last night? Aren’t you usually the old man asleep by 10 pm every night?” Angela fake laughed, putting her interrogation trainings to good use. 

“Ha ha, very funny. Seeing as how you’re wide awake, sounds like you were the old lady going to bed by ten.” He smirked, obviously avoiding the other half of her question, knowing that since she got married, her and Wes had definitely calmed down a bit, her choosing a relaxing evening over going out. 

“Not on a Friday I don’t. Wes and I went out for drinks downtown and dinner… I went to bed at eleven.” She laughed, “We wanted to try that new brewery on 5th, but when we got there the bar was packed…” She eyed Tim, who responded without missing a beat. 

“That place is awesome.” He responded, before realizing the implications of Angela visually seeing the bar last night. 

“Oh..So you’ve been?” Angela smirked looking directly at him as he squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, knowing she had him. The place only opened Thursday and Thursday they all had worked late. 

“Uh - I — yep.” He looked away, tapping his fingers nervously on the steering wheel, afraid to look at her, but knowing this whole conversation had been a play. She saw them, and thinking back, there were very few moments that entire evening he could pass off as friends getting a drink. They had been together since her wedding, four whole months, and no one knew; as stressful as keeping everything a secret had been, the fun part was that when they were alone, there was absolutely nothing ‘just’ friendly about their interactions. 

“Who’d you go with?” She didn’t even try to hide her smug smile this time. He turned slowly towards her, not saying anything before she added, “Something you want to share with the class, Timothy?” 

He stayed silent for a moment, a silent battle of carrying on the ruse or admitting defeat. Looking at Angela’s very satisfied smile, he decided to try to play it off, “Lucy wanted to try it out, we are friends you know..?” 

“PSA: Tim Bradford makes out with his friends now!” Angela rolled her eyes. 

“We weren’t making — “ Tim started, “Ok fine. You got me. Lucy and I are together, we haven’t told anyone. Happy?” 

“Very.” She laughed, “Now, when did this happen? I had 50 bucks on before the end of 2020, but I imagine this is still new? You work with a bunch of cops.” 

“You were betting on it?!” 

“Of course, the whole department is in on it, even Grey. Now, spill.” 

“GREY is in on it?!” 

“Yes, but we can talk about that later, when did it happen?” 

“Your wedding.” He tried to sound annoyed, but failed miserably. That was one of the best weekends of his life, and he had been loving every minute of his life since. 

“My WHAT?! That was four months ago!!” 

Tim just shrugged. 

“Ooooh no. Tim, you hooked up with your your rookie at MY wedding, have been dating her in secret for FOUR months, and you expect I’m going to let you just shrug? Hell no, I want details. Who else knows?” 

“No one, Detective Lopez.” Tim joked emphasizing her rank, completely okay with Angela knowing about them. They had talked about it and were going to tell everyone soon anyway, but he still wasn’t one to just openly share personal aspects of his life. 

“Not even Jackson?” 

“Not even Jackson.” He confirmed. That had been the hardest and they had almost been caught multiple times. He’d hid in her closet, snuck out before sunrise - it had been fun, but they were definitely ready for it to end. 

“Wow. Ok. Well what happened at my wedding that lead to this? Like we all knew you both were pining over each other for months, but which one of you finally grew some balls?” 

“I don’t know, Angela. It just happened. Do we have to talk about this?” Tim asked, exasperated. 

“Yes, we need to talk about this. Bride’s rights. If you don’t tell me, I’m going to assume you confessed your love in some gross way and cried the entire time. That’s what I’ll tell people when they ask, big tough Tim Bradford CRIED.” She started to act out what she would do. 

“You’re ridiculous.”

Angela rolled her eyes, deciding to go with a more direct approach, “Was it before or after the dancing?” She recalled vividly watching Tim and Lucy dance to some country slow song towards the end of the reception, her photographer had even gotten a few pictures of it, and to anyone outside of their work friend group, they would have assumed they were a couple. It was something about the way they were looking at each other, even Nyla had commented on it, making Jackson choke on his beer, before they all turned and watched. Though the bets were already on, the pool got a whole lot bigger that night. 

“Before.” 

“Like how soon before?” 

Tim sighed, he obviously was not getting out of this, “After the rehearsal dinner.” 

“Oh, that makes sense. You guys were hammered. Wait, did you have a DRUNKEN hook up with your ROOKIE?!” Angela smacked his arm, looking like she was judging him. 

“No, no. I’m not eighteen anymore, Jesus. I do have some self control you know.” Tim looked offended. 

“Apparently, not. You’re dating your old Boot. Never did I think I would see the day, Mr. “Rules Matter” Bradford, shacking up with his Boot.” 

“Yeah, well some rules are worth breaking.” 

“Cute. Now spill. Pleaaaase.” Last resort, Angela turned to begging. 

“Ok, ok, fine.” He rolled his eyes, “Everyone had gone to bed and we were both pretty drunk, so Lucy got in her head that she wanted to go swimming.” He looked out the window briefly with a smile, remembering that night, "She somehow roped me into it and I wasn’t about to let her go drunkenly swim alone in the dark, so we went down to the beach and I don’t know, we kissed, it just happened.”

“Romantic. What happened after?” Angela pried. 

“What do you mean what happened after?” 

“Well you said you have so called self control, so how’d you go from that to full blown dating? I would have figured you both to be the awkward let’s forget that ever happened types.” 

“Well Angela, as a married woman, I would have hoped you would know how these things worked, but when two grown adults are in a committed relationship…” He joked. 

“Ha ha, very funny. But you said you didn’t drunkenly hook up?” 

“We didn’t….” He paused, “We waited till morning.” 

“Ew.” 

“You asked.” He shrugged, looking smug. 

“Still gross.” She smiled, “I’m happy for you Tim, really. I think she’s good for you.” She pushed on his arm happily. 

“Honestly, she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” He said quietly. 

“Damn straight.” Angela laughed, “God, I still can’t believe you’re dating your rookie.” 

“Me either.” Tim laughed. 

“Do you like want her babies?” Angela laughed making a joke, suddenly finding this whole situation hilarious. When Tim didn’t answer she realized, “Oh my god, you do don’t you. I call Godmother!!!” 

“I’m never going to hear the end of this am I?” Tim rolled his eyes. 

“Nope.” She smirked, “But I’ll give you a reprieve, that looks like our transport truck.” 

“Finally.” Tim grabbed the radio, signing that they had joined the convoy. 

Best believe Angela got the full story from Lucy a few days later, the whole sappy truth of Tim confessing that he had wanted to ask her out for months, that he was in love with her, that he wanted everything life had to offer with her. Lucy told her all about how he was surprisingly a snuggler, how he actually kind of loved rom-coms, at least when she watched them with him, and that when he relaxed into the weekend, he was actually quite playful and fun. But, Angela didn’t tease him about any of that, because after knowing Tim for as long as she did, she knew that a love like that was no joking matter for him. It was pure, it was real, and it was everything she knew her friend deserved.

**Author's Note:**

> Idea inspired by another story on here, but completely unrelated. Hope you enjoyed! I had fun writing it!


End file.
